Last Thing
by StuckInTheShire
Summary: A small sob escaped Dwalin and he bit his lip half hoping the younger dwarf had not heard the fear and pleading tone in his voice. Half hoping he had... They were anything but ready for this. Oh Mahal, he wasn't even ready for this. - No slash


''Fili, laddie, eyes open.'' Dwalin's voice sounded distant and faint as Fili forced his eyes open, the focus blurring. His eye lids dropped as he blinked, their increasing heaviness made it impossibly harder to keep them open. Each time he blinked he became dangerously close to the world of the unconscious.

''Fili, keep your eyes open for me, lad.'' Fili felt the small sake of his arm and the pressure that was the elders hand as the older dwarf's voice became uncharacteristically more frantic. ''Thorin!'' The sudden shout made Fili jump slightly, prying his eye lids open again. He felt his arm move. He felt it but didn't remember ever thinking about the action. Hit touched something. His fingertips that had moved on their own accord brushed against something warm.

Warm and sticky.

''Dwalin?'' His voice sounded rough and felt like sand paper in his suddenly bone dry mouth. He forced himself to swallow, feeling desperate when the inside of his mouth instantly dried. ''Mister Dwalin...what...'' He tried again, moving his gaze down to where his hand was rubbing his slippery fingertips together. They were red. Red with blood. Confusion clouded his mind and he blinked away the shock that suddenly started pulling his eye lids down. ''Dwalin..I think...'' He turned his head to look up at the tattooed dwarf with large eyes. ''I...I think I'm bleeding.''

Dwalin refused to make eye contact with the younger dwarf. No. The dwarfling. He was too young for this quest. Too young to be covered in his own blood not knowing what the hell was going on. Dwalin swallowed. Hard.

''Aye, laddie. But not a lot,'' Lies, ''We just need to just need to wait for your uncle, or

Óin,'' or somebody, ''and then you'll be fine.'' The young dwarf nodded weakly and coughed.

''Where's Kili?''

''He's fine. Just fine, just like you will be.'' Liar. ''Just fine.''

There was a long silence and Dwalin had to move to check that the blonde dwarf still breathed. He gave him a small shake, trying to avoid aggravating any of his wounds.

''Fili, laddie. Eyes open please.'' A small sigh of relief escaped his lips when the blondes eye lips opened slightly, to reveal the blue orbs. ''Try and keep them open just a little longer,'' He gave a small smile, fighting back the tears that had appeared in his eyes ''You don't want to leave me alone here if you go and faint, now do you? '' Or die. I couldn't have you die on me, Fili, not when I'm alone. It would kill me.

Fili coughed hoarsely, moving his arm to touch the blood sticking to his chest again, his eye lids dropping slowly.

''Fili? Fili, Please.'' A small sob escaped Dwalin and he bit his lip half hoping the younger dwarf had not heard the fear and pleading tone in his voice. Half hoping he had.

''Thorin?'' Fili said through a broken sob. Tears running slowly down his face, making Dwalin wonder how long they had been there.

''He'll be here soon, Fili.''

Dwalin watched as Fili blinked slowly, forcing his eyes open each time. He tried to ignore the part of him that was telling him how selfish he was to keep the young dwarf awake but he couldn't let him pass. He knew that it probably wasn't as serious as he thought, he knew that he was keeping him from the peace of unconsciousness and it was selfish and wrong to keep him awake when he was so confused. However he couldn't bring himself to allow the boy to sleep it even if there was a slight possibility that he would never awaken.

Another sob choked him and he bit back the tears that threated to escape. He couldn't cry. He hadn't cried in years. In so long that he had been adamant that he had forgotten how. But now, he couldn't stop the tears. He lowered his neck and placed it on the blondes forehead, tears slowly falling down his cheeks as he cradled the child. He shouldn't be there. He shouldn't be the one comforting him. Dwalin's thoughts fell to Thorin and Kili. Where was the boy? He had seen Thorin fall and taken by Beorn. But Kili. Kili barely had an excuse, he had to be here for his brother.

''Where's Kili?'' A lump formed in Dwalin's throat. He had no idea.

''He's coming. He'll be here soon.'' Fili opened his eyes too look at the elder, tears trickling slowly from his eyes.

''Is he dead?'' Dwalin closed his own eyes and bit his tongue.

''I don't know, laddie...I don't know.'' The young dwarf gave the most pitiful sob, that shattered the elders heart.

''I had...'' He coughed violently. ''I had wanted him to be the last thing I ever saw.''

Dwalin closed his eyes. He didn't have the heart to feel angry at the younger dwarf. He didn't feel hurt that he wasn't good enough to be the last scene in royals life. He did feel angry. But not at Fili. Not even at Kili for not being there when he was most needed. He felt angry at himself, for not pushing his oldest friend into not bringing the two along. He felt angry at Thorin for ever thinking that the two boys were ready for this. Why had the old fool let them persuade him? They were anything but ready for this. Oh Mahal, he wasn't even ready for this.

Fili moved his hand slowly to wipe the tears from his face, smearing blood unintentionally across his cheek and smiled. The smile that Dwalin had seen so many times in his life. The smile he had given him when he first picked up his swords in training practice. The smile he had given him when he and his brother had been playing some stupid trick on Bilbo. Fili's smile.

**This is my first fanfiction so I shall firstly apologize for the poor quality, I know it's awful. Secondly, I'm sorry for the lack of plot and the just general blahness of it - hopefully my next fanfictions (if there will be any, but hopefully) will be better. And lastly, I'm sorry for the angst, I find it easier to right as it has a storyline but ugh, writing in general is hard!**

**It would be awesome if you could review, it means so much to me c:**

**Anyway, thank you very much for taking the time to read this, It means so much to me - so thank you! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope that you will enjoy my other fanfictions in the future. **

**So Thank you! **


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